ASTROS V RED SOX
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017, 7 PM AT FENWAY PARK
TV: NESN, MLBN, (OUT-OF-MARKET ONLY), ATT SPORTS NET-SW
HOUSTON, (98-60).....................................................................................BOSTON, (92-66)
HOUSTON:
BRAD PEACOCK, RHP, 12-2, 2.98 ERA, 159K
Peacock's 12 wins surpass his career total of 11 entering the season. After beginning
the season in the bullpen, Peacock has flourished as a starter, going 9-2 with a 3.21 ERA
with 133 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings pitched.
BOSTON:
EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ, LHP, 6-6, 3.91 ERA, 148K
The lefty has caught fire down the stretch. In September, Rodriguez is 2-1 with a 1.78
ERA in four starts. At Fenway Park this season, Rodrigez is 2-1 with a 3.81 ERA. He has
faced the Astros once in his career.
Astros, Red Sox open possible ALDS preview
Ian Browne
The Astros and Red Sox could be on a collision course to meet in next week's American League Division Series, which makes their season-ending series at Fenway Park, which begins Thursday night, an intriguing and unique appetizer.
Both teams are still chasing postseason positioning -- the Astros are on the Indians' heels for best record in the AL, and the Red Sox are trying to hold off the Yankees in the AL East -- but will be cognizant of showing too many cards, especially in terms of pitching.
The Red Sox, with a magic number of two in the division, can clinch Thursday night with a win over the Astros and a loss by the Yankees against the Rays.
There will be no shortage of subplots during the four days at Fenway between two teams that have been among the best in the AL all season.
"Two things are going on with that," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.
"One, we've now inched pretty close to the Indians to get the No. 1 seed, and the AL East is still going. They're going to battle as well. It's an intriguing matchup, because I know everybody has positioned us to play the Red Sox in the first round, and how are we going to use the pitching and players?
"We all need to win games for different reasons. Part of that is the playoff structure. Part of that is just momentum. You want guys to play well and play every day, and there's a gap coming up in some off-days. It will probably be a day-by-day decision for me and [Red Sox manager] John [Farrell] on what to do, how to do it, who to match up and who to play."
At worst, the Astros will go into the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the AL. No matter which seed they wind up with, they will host Game 1 of the ALDS presented by Doosan on Oct. 5. Houston would play the winner of the AL Wild Card game as the No. 1 seed and the winner of the AL East as the No. 2 seed.
The Astros are one game back of the Indians for the AL's best record, and if the two teams end the season with an identical record, Cleveland would get the No. 1 seed since the Tribe owns the tiebreaker vs. Houston.
For the Red Sox, there is a little more urgency, because they still need to win the division to secure the No. 3 seed and avoid having to play in the AL Wild Card Game. If Boston winds up in a tie with the Yankees for the AL East, they would have to play a tiebreaking game in New York on Monday. In that scenario, the winner would be the No. 3 seed and the loser would play in the Wild Card Game.
This would be just the fourth time in history two teams that met in the final series of the regular season also faced off for the start of the postseason. The last time it happened was 2013, when the Pirates swept the Reds in the final weekend of the season and then defeated Cincinnati in the NL Wild Card Game.
"I think it just adds a lot of attraction and attention to a lot of things that are meaningful in the final four games," said Farrell. "Given what's playing out for best record, home field and divisional [races], that's what makes September unique in some ways and really exciting in others. We're fortunate to be right in the midst of it."
Astros right-hander Brad Peacock (12-2, 2.98 ERA), a likely starter in the ALDS, will start Thursday against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (6-6, 3.91 ERA) of the Red Sox. After beginning the season in the bullpen, Peacock has flourished as a starter, going 9-2 with a 3.21 ERA with 133 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings.
Rodriguez has caught fire in September, posting a 1.78 ERA in four starts, and he can use Thursday's start as an opportunity to lock down a rotation spot in the ALDS.
The last time the Red Sox and Astros played each other was June 16-18, when Boston took two out of three in Houston.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME
• Fenway fans will get their first look this season at AL MVP candidate Jose Altuve. The second baseman collected his 200th hit of the season Wednesday vs. the Rangers, becoming the first player to have at least 200 hits for four years in a row since Ichiro Suzuki reeled off 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons (2001-10).
• The Red Sox have won 14 of 18 games all-time against the Astros at Fenway Park.
• Peacock's 20.3-percent called-strike rate as a starter ranks sixth in the Majors this season (minimum 1,500 pitches). He has gotten a called strike 28 percent of the time with his four-seam fastball, which ranks second among starters (minimum 300 four-seamers).
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170927256414268/astros-red-sox-open-possible-alds-preview/?game_pk=492478
NUMBER OF GAMES
4
MAGIC NUMBER
2
Red Sox vs HOU.
Bogaerts SS,
Pedroia 2B,
Benintendi LF,
Betts RF,
Moreland 1B,
Ramirez DH,
Devers 3B,
Vázquez C,
Bradley Jr. CF,
Rodriguez.
THURSDAY NIGHTS:
Meanwhile, the yankees are facing Faria, 5-4 of the Rays with
Gray who is 10-11. I don't believe we're going to get any help here.
The E-Rod against the Peacock ??? Go E-rod !!! thumb_u rofl
Quote from: Bill-806 on September 28, 2017, 05:11:16 AM
The E-Rod against the Peacock ??? Go E-rod !!! thumb_u rofl
Let's just hope E-Rod doesn't think "well all the high paid guys give up lots of runs early....."
SERIES PREVIEW
Red Sox vs. Astros Series Preview
A look ahead to the final series of the regular season
by Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Sep 28, 2017, 10:30am EDT
The opponent in one sentence
The Astros have been one of the best teams in all of baseball from the start of the year and throughout the season because of a dynamic offense and a strong pitching staff.
Record
98-60
Head-to-Head Record
Red Sox 2, Astros 1
Trend
Up. The Astros are currently in a fight with the Indians for the top seed in the American League playoffs and have been doing their part of late to achieve their goal. They’ve won 12 of their last 15 games and are coming off a dominant sweep of the Rangers in which they scored at least 10 runs in each game while never allowing more than three. Unfortunately for them, Cleveland has been just as hot.
Pitching Matchups
9/28: Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Brad Peacock, 7:10 PM ET
This is a fairly big start for Rodriguez, who is looking to solidify his spot in the Red Sox playoff rotation. Granted, it would seem almost certain he’s already done enough to this point, but another strong start wouldn’t hurt. He’s been noticeably different over his last few starts, and that has been a very good thing. The key for Rodriguez has always been mixing his pitches and that will continue to be the case in this series.
Peacock is starting on a regular basis for the first time since 2014, and he’s looking much better than we’ve ever seen him. The righty has been outstanding in the Astros rotation, pitching to a 2.98 ERA with over 11 strikeouts per nine innings. It should be noted that 13 of his 33 appearances have come out of the bullpen, but he’s been in the rotation since late-May and is on fire right now. Over his last six starts, the righty has a 2.10 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 11 walks in 34 1⁄3 innings. Peacock features a four-seam and two-seam fastball, both in the low-to-mid-90s, to go with a slider that has been getting him whiffs all year.
9/29: Doug Fister vs. Charlie Morton, 7:10 PM ET
While Thursday is an important one for Rodriguez, Friday is much more important for Fister. With Rick Porcello failing to take control of the fourth rotation spot, the door is open for Doug Fister to potentially get a start in an ALDS. Obviously, things have gone downhill for the veteran righty of late, but he looked better in his last start. He was still a bit too hittable, but the bar is fairly low for the fourth rotation spot at the moment.
Like Peacock, Morton is a veteran righty who is around for a while but is looking as strong as ever in 2017. His strikeout rate has risen considerably from his career norms, going from a guy who generally strikes out around six or seven batters per nine to one who is striking out over ten. Combining that with an ability to induce ground balls and keep the ball in the yard, he’s pitched to a 3.63 ERA over 24 starts. Morton leans heavily on a mid-90s two-seamer along with a mid-90s four-seamer, a cutter and a changeup.
9/30: Drew Pomeranz vs. Lance McCullers, 1:10 PM ET
These last two starts are question marks for the Red Sox. If they are able to clinch the division over the next two days â€" something that can be done with some combination of two Red Sox wins and Yankees losses â€" then they can give Pomeranz and Chris Sale some rest. My guess would be, if Pomeranz doesn’t make this start, they’ll give it to Hector Velazquez.
McCullers is one of the more intriguing young pitchers in the game, though he hasn’t really been able to put it together on a consistent basis. On the one hand, he has legitimate swing-and-miss stuff. On the other hand, he struggles with command and that leads to run totals that doesn’t quite reflect his peripherals. He’s also battled injury this year, so the Astros have limited his workload of late. McCullers features a four-seamer and a two-seamer, both in the mid-90s, along with a curveball and a changeup.
10/1: Chris Sale vs. Collin McHugh, 3:05 PM ET
Like with Pomeranz, the Red Sox would like to avoid Sale making this start. As long as they are able to clinch the division, I would guess the Red Sox will either give this start to Roenis Elias or they will make it a bullpen game.
McHugh missed the majority of the season due to injury, but he’s been solid since returning. His ERA has been better than his peripherals, but he gets a solid number of strikeouts and his command is in check most games. McHugh will never blow anyone away, but he’s the kind of consistent, solid starter contending teams need. He features a low-90s fastball, a curveball and a slider.
Old Friends
Josh Reddick was once one of the more promising prospects in the Red Sox organization, but was dealt to Oakland back before the 2012 season in the Andrew Bailey trade. He hasn’t turned into a star by any means, but he’s been outstanding this season for the Astros thanks to great contact skills and solid power. He’s been hurt for a few days, though, and he may not be playing this weekend in Boston.
Notable Hitters
Jose Altuve is the best player on the Astros and could be the front-runner in the MVP race. The small second baseman is an incredible player with legitimate power, great speed, strong contact skills and a good glove at second base. In short, he’s good at just about everything.
Altuve is the face of the Astros, but Carlos Correa is a close second behind him. The former first overall pick missed some time in the middle of the year with injury, but when he’s been healthy he’s provided Houston with strong defense at shortstop along with big-time power and on-base skills. Perhaps no team is as well-suited up the middle for years to come.
Finshing up the up-the-middle combination for Houston is George Springer, the Astros center fielder. A UConn product and Matt Barnes’ college teammate, Springer does everything at the plate. The Astros are a strong offensive team, if you couldn’t tell.
Marwin Gonzalez has been a huge breakout for the Astros this year in left field, showing off surprising power and strong contact skills.
Alex Bregman has been an under-the-radar young player, likely because he’s simply good at everything at the plate without having a standout trait.
Carlos Beltran was supposed to be the big free agent acquisition for the Astros, but he’s had a disappointing year thanks to a surprising lack of power and solid contact in general.
Brian McCann and Evan Gattis form the Astros catching tandem and they provide big power but not a ton of on-base ability.
Yulieski Gurriel is a former Cuban baseball star who disappointed in 2016 but has come back this year with solid production from third base for the Astros.
Bullpen Snapshot
Ken Giles serves as the Astros closer and while he’s not quite elite he is in the next tier down with a chance to jump up at some point in his career. He gets a ton of strikeouts and does a good job of keeping the ball in the yard. His biggest issue is his command, which can lead to bad streaks with lots of walks and line drives.
The Red Sox keep giving us reasons to believe
Chris Devenski is the second best reliever in Houston’s bullpen. A surprising breakout in 2016, he hasn’t taken a step back this year thanks to a devastating changeup that gets him a ton of strikeouts.
Joe Musgrove came up as a starting pitching prospect but converted to the bullpen in the middle of this year and has looked much better in this role, working his way into a high-leverage role.
The one big weakness on Houston’s roster is a lack of a reliable left-handed reliever. Tony Sipp and Francisco Liriano are their primary options right now and both have significant command problems.
Injuries
Jake Marisnick has been a big part of Houston’s outfield this year with big power to hide his big strikeout issues but has been out with a thumb injury since mid-September.
Brady Rodgers was a depth starter who spent most of his time in Triple-A, but he underwent Tommy John surgery at the start of September.
Jandel Gustave has the potential to be a solid reliever in this league but he underwent elbow surgery in April and has missed essentially the whole season.
Weather Forecast
It should be a solid weekend in Boston. The humidity is finally breaking, and weather should be more September-like. The one questionable day will be Saturday. There are showers in the forecast all afternoon and it wouldn’t be surprising if that game gets significantly delayed. They should be able to play at some point that day, though.
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/28/16378296/red-sox-astros-series-preview
If Pom or Sale pitches it's bad news. In the meantime, the Sox can help themselves a lot by beating up on Houston and then meeting them in the ALDS rather than Cleveland.
Quote from: longgame on September 28, 2017, 01:04:14 PM
If Pom or Sale pitches it's bad news. In the meantime, the Sox can help themselves a lot by beating up on Houston and then meeting them in the ALDS rather than Cleveland.
As DAD would say, "SON, the way that we have played this year, there is no reason to expect positive results at all, rather it could be very painful" !!! iono slap rofl
Quote from: Bear on September 28, 2017, 01:05:31 AM
Red Sox vs HOU.
Bogaerts SS,
Pedroia 2B,
Benintendi LF,
Betts RF,
Moreland 1B,
Ramirez DH,
Devers 3B,
Vázquez C,
Bradley Jr. CF,
Rodriguez.
If E-Rod can pitch a good game tonight this lineup could do the job just like it did last night. We need a combo of two to take the AL East and the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. These next four games will be a test for the Red Sox and we have to pass that test.
This is a good lineup and yes, please let us end it tonight.
Not sure the yankees will lose though.
Quote from: Bear on September 28, 2017, 03:54:32 PM
This is a good lineup and yes, please let us end it tonight.
Not sure the yankees will lose though.
This is your/our POST SEASON lineup, lets see what they do tonight !!! iono rofl thumb_u
Houston is playing for home field advantage. Peacock is...well....very flipping good.
Outside of a W, I really hope E-Rod continues his good pitching streak. I gave up on him in mid-season, but he's showing signs of the command of his pitches and the promise he had when he first broke into the majors. :-X
Houston HAS home field advantage in the first round.
(Although they may want to best Cleveland.)
E Rod gave up 3 runs in the top of the first inning.
UGHHHHH
AND the Yankees are ahead of the Rays 2 - 1 in the bottom
of the first inning.
UGHHHHHH
This is awful night after night. 5-0. Game over.
The Astros may want to take it easy on us though. Let us get through and they can coast through the first round.
God this team is pathetic. They must have to keep multiple pairs of pants on hand in the locker room the way these guys piss their pants under pressure.
TOP of the second inning
Astros 5 - Sox 0
Giving up HOME RUNS are killing our pitchers . . .
There's E-Rods 5 earned runs and trying to give up more. Our starting staff is sinking fast.
Second inning where ERod had TWO OUTS
and couldn't get out of the inning.
High pitch count - 5 runs allowed so far.
HAVE TO ROOT for the Rays tonight.
Sale, Porcello, Pomeranz and now E-Rod! Fister will save us!
Farrell has already taken ERod OUT of the game.
He went 1 2/3 innings.
WTF is going on with our pitchers????
AND, yes I KNOW that Houston has a great team . . .
Think our starters this time through the rotation have pitched 14 1/3 innings and given up 20 earned runs. Not a good way to head for the playoffs.
A Moreland sighting. 5-1 Astro's.
Now 5-2 Astro's.
Good time to get Pedroia out of the game so he can play tomorrow.
We can all see just how this team stacks up against one of the top teams in the league.
I wish we had a team that could like this Stros group.
Well maybe next year with some new faces.
And yes there will be moves!!!
8-4 Rays
Quote from: Schloicka on September 28, 2017, 07:46:09 PM
Good time to get Pedroia out of the game so he can play tomorrow.
John Henry mentioned today they had to "be careful" with him the rest of his career. Second baseman of the next few years made of glass.
He'll look good in the new yellow pants though.
Oy. Great point to tune into the game. Just as they go down 10-2.
That's my boy, Meatball Matt. Doin' his thing.
Looks like we may get down to magic #1. Fingers crossed. But relying on this team to W its way into the ALE is like hoping for my cat to take to the pool for a swim.....
E-Rod just punched his ticket to the bench for the playoffs, joining Porcello.
What a mess every starter has turned into.
Fister is our ace now 8)
Despite scoring 12 runs in this game, Houston has 10 LOBsters. That's a *lot* of base runners for one game.
Yanks lose. Magic number shrinks.
THANK YOU to the Tampa Bay Rays
for beating the Yankees.
Magic number is now ONE.
(And this Houston team is a very good team - DANG IT!)
Quote from: markj on September 28, 2017, 09:35:56 PM
Yanks lose. Magic number shrinks.
Sox have been getting help all year to get wins why not wait for help to win the division.
The scheduling this year is so bizarre -
with our Sox playing Houston -
especially with the chance that we may play
them again in the postseason within a week.
In recent years, if memory serves me correctly,
we usually play someone in the AL EAST.
Strange . . .
Sox can win the East tomorrow without even playing. The Yanks play the Jays in an afternoon game so it could be all over before the Sox game. Let's go Jays. Score some runs.
I don't like the idea of crawling into the AL East Title through a Yankee loss if we also lose again. We need to win a game either tomorrow or Saturday to show that we earned the title. Tonight we got the crap knocked out of us and here's a thought.....Just suppose the roof falls in and w e lose the next three games and the Yanks win theirs. Who pitches Monday for us in Farrell's little stubborn schedule.....PORCELLO!!!!! Me? I would get David Price ready to pitch in relief tomorrow and or Saturday and come back with him as a starter on Monday if that's how it shakes out. But our worthless manager probably has never thought of that because he can't think outside his narrow box. Still, we can't blame Farrell for the loss tonight. The pitching stunk, the hitting was not there and we looked overwhelmed. Let's hope tomorrow will be better and that Fister remembers how to pitch while the hitters get a hot streak and we resemble the Astros of tonight. Grasping at straws? I hope not.
Houston is where they are for a reason. Like many of you I keep scratching my head at how this Sox team got to 90+ Ws.
Up to Fister, again :o What a bizzaro world this team lives in.....
Deju vu.
Like SAND thru the hourglass, so should be the remaining days of E-ROD on that ROSTER !! thumb_d slap rofl
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on September 28, 2017, 11:20:57 PM
I don't like the idea of crawling into the AL East Title through a Yankee loss if we also lose again. We need to win a game either tomorrow or Saturday to show that we earned the title. Tonight we got the crap knocked out of us and here's a thought.....Just suppose the roof falls in and w e lose the next three games and the Yanks win theirs. Who pitches Monday for us in Farrell's little stubborn schedule.....PORCELLO!!!!! Me? I would get David Price ready to pitch in relief tomorrow and or Saturday and come back with him as a starter on Monday if that's how it shakes out. But our worthless manager probably has never thought of that because he can't think outside his narrow box. Still, we can't blame Farrell for the loss tonight. The pitching stunk, the hitting was not there and we looked overwhelmed. Let's hope tomorrow will be better and that Fister remembers how to pitch while the hitters get a hot streak and we resemble the Astros of tonight. Grasping at straws? I hope not.
I've never liked the term "backing in" or other such terms. We win because we won more games. But that doesn't alleviate the serious concerns about this club.
I've never liked the term "backing in" or other such terms. We win because we won more games. But that doesn't alleviate the serious concerns about this club.
[/quote]
That's right. If the Sox win the division because the Yankees lose in the afternoon there's nothing the Sox can do about it. The Sox would of won the East because they won more games. If the Sox win the East whether they win another game this season or not is because they won more games than other teams in the East. No other reason. The rest is just blah blah blah.
Quote from: Schloicka on September 29, 2017, 09:19:44 AM
I've never liked the term "backing in" or other such terms. We win because we won more games. But that doesn't alleviate the serious concerns about this club.
Quote
That's right. If the Sox win the division because the Yankees lose in the afternoon there's nothing the Sox can do about it. The Sox would of won the East because they won more games. If the Sox win the East whether they win another game this season or not is because they won more games than other teams in the East. No other reason. The rest is just blah blah blah.
True, but momentum is important going into the playoffs. Look at last year. They blew game after game in their last 10 and were gone in a sweep in the first series. If the Sox get swept by the 'Stros here and still take the ALE by virtue of a NYY loss, that doesn't bode well for them when they turn around and play Houston again in a week.
Quote from: markj on September 29, 2017, 09:45:20 AM
Quote from: Schloicka on September 29, 2017, 09:19:44 AM
I've never liked the term "backing in" or other such terms. We win because we won more games. But that doesn't alleviate the serious concerns about this club.
Quote
That's right. If the Sox win the division because the Yankees lose in the afternoon there's nothing the Sox can do about it. The Sox would of won the East because they won more games. If the Sox win the East whether they win another game this season or not is because they won more games than other teams in the East. No other reason. The rest is just blah blah blah.
True, but momentum is important going into the playoffs. Look at last year. They blew game after game in their last 10 and were gone in a sweep in the first series. If the Sox get swept by the 'Stros here and still take the ALE by virtue of a NYY loss, that doesn't bode well for them when they turn around and play Houston again in a week.
I'm just talking about winning the East. Obviously you'd like to go into the playoffs with some momentum. I look at the lineups of the Sox, Astro's and Indians and I don't think the Sox match up well. It will come down to pitching. Can Sale & Pomerantz perform to keep the Sox in the games.
Some of you guys still hold out some lame hope that the team will right the ship and get ready to make a move in the playoffs. I hope you're all right but to enter it on a bummer of a losing streak dooms us as it did last year. Yes, if we win more games than the Yankees we will have earned the AL East Ti tle but can anybody really be satisfied with backing in compared to winning it with a win? Well tomorrow, September 30th will be the 50th Anniversary of the day I met my wife Linda and a win tomorrow would be a fine present to celebrate that day. If we can get it tonight so much the better since I won't be so uptight tomorrow, but do not expect the Blue Jays to beat the Yankees today. It may still come down to us to win on damn game this weekend.
I hope the Sox give you an early Anniversary gift.
The Jays are losing to the Yankees 3 - 0.
Tanaka is pitching a gem at the moment.
Don't expect the Jays to help us.
The Sox need to WIN!
Of course we hope they right the ship and play well. I think everyone is aware of what the odds of that are.
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on September 29, 2017, 12:20:53 PM
Some of you guys still hold out some lame hope that the team will right the ship and get ready to make a move in the playoffs. I hope you're all right but to enter it on a bummer of a losing streak dooms us as it did last year. Yes, if we win more games than the Yankees we will have earned the AL East Ti tle but can anybody really be satisfied with backing in compared to winning it with a win? Well tomorrow, September 30th will be the 50th Anniversary of the day I met my wife Linda and a win tomorrow would be a fine present to celebrate that day. If we can get it tonight so much the better since I won't be so uptight tomorrow, but do not expect the Blue Jays to beat the Yankees today. It may still come down to us to win on damn game this weekend.
Fred , I find it hard to imagine that you really don`t feel the same as most of us here.What you post doesn`t mean what you really feel does it.